COVENTRY mum Jo Green is all smiles as she shares a cuddle with her adorable son Charlie.

The 34 year-old is now the picture of health after undergoing intricate heart surgery – through her leg.

Jo was one of the first patients to get the sensational new treatment at Coventry’s University Hospital.

Surgeons inserted wires at the top of her thigh and pushed them all the way up to her heart, where they burned away a fault that was causing her to suffer palpitations.

What makes the two hour operation even more incredible is that Jo was awake the whole time.

Jo, of Coundon, said: “It felt a bit strange – I could hear lots of instructions but the doctors were great, they kept talking me through what they were doing and what to expect.

“It was a bit sore when they were trying to push the wires into my leg. But it didn’t feel like it lasted for two hours.”

Jo had suffered from palpitations since her early 20s but admits she just assumed this was normal for her and never consulted her GP.

Doctors were alarmed when her heart rate soared to 180 beats per minute while she was giving birth to her third baby Harry 30 months ago.

They referred her to a heart specialist who spotted that she had a second pathway in her heart that was allowing rogue electric impulses to disrupt its normal rhythm.

Doctors started treating her symptoms with pills before offering her the surgery.

Jo, of Dallington Road, said: “The doctor told me there were risks. The worst case scenario was I might need to have a pacemaker fitted.

"But I’m relatively young and I didn’t want to be taking pills for the rest of my life. Besides, I’d probably forget to take them.”

The operation six months ago was a life-changing success and Jo went home the very next day – a benefit of having keyhole rather than traditional “open heart” surgery.

Since then her symptoms have vanished completely and an ECG scan gave her heart the all clear.

“I used to get out of breath just walking up the hill to pick the kids up from school and I would start getting palpitations. My asthma is much better now too. I would definitely recommend it to other patients in my shoes,” she said.

The operation was carried out by consultant cardiologist Dr Faizel Osman at University Hospital.

He said: “This treatment gives a cure so patients don’t have to put up with ongoing medical therapy or symptoms and as a result, it improves their quality of life.”